The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-18
A HIDDEN CRIME.
How n Brutal Mate Was Murdered In Mid
ocean.

rionl .he san francisco Alta California.
mats that you sayl Murders ever cons
should say there wore"
me speaker was a TALL well-forrned bronzed mars
-, 'ne cn'ei olcer of an American ship now lying
~ .he seaWall He has followed the sea from his
iiliallcy, lor ne was born it, and the forty-fve
years ol ms Wayecssed life have been full of incis
dent and adventure.
eyes" he went on to saw n the reortor who vas
MS ilstener there are many, many crimes com.
nhtted at sea which ever come to light and many
is me old she'll ack whose hand is stained With
blood Talking of this puts me in mind of somes
.nig that occurred to me- case that furnishes an
Instance In point. It happened about six years ago.
that was stranded in this port withou rag Il
hau peen ashore about six days, ample time for arE
oio shell 10 get away with his all, and l was de-
termlned to ship as soon as possible. There was at
mat ume in port as pretty a little ship as have
ever seen. She was the very craft to charm sail
OTIS heart. Long and low of hull, with TALL ralingi
masts, she had the run of clipper, and was IS
clean asa man-o-war
II TOOK fancy to the SEA Foam at once and
nearing that the cal iin wanted men, / went
aboard and was shipped as bosun for voyage 10
CORK. found the old man a splendid fellow, bluff
ana nearly, real sea-dog, who liked his glass or
eroS az q whose nose showed his liking The seg-i
chi mate was nice young man, but the mate waa
aqueer card. He'd never look you in the face, was
always talking to himself and would fly into territ
pie paroXysms Of rage. Even in his sleep he could
not Keep quiet and the stiffness of the night watch
would often be disturbed by his shriekS for mercy,
ana his cries OFF, did not do IT. il wasn't me- /
II az last came 10 the conclusion that the man
was t)rmented with remorse for some pat crime.
AS 'ie Gays OF the voyage wore on ! becGm moro
anu more convinced that my belicfwas G., and
mat 'he mate was criminal, but the real truth was
to be revealed TO Zoe sooner than expected ,
1T was on Trinity Sunday, 1881 and we were in
40 south and 100 west when we were overaken in
one OF the heaviest gales it has been my lot to ell.
counter The glass mad been jumping about as if it
had st. Vitus dance. The old man had foresecn the
gale, which broke on us from the southwest and we
mad everything snug when the first blast struck us
an keeled us over till the water poured down the
companion way Luckily, we had brand new top
sails and trysails, or Tie devil himself could NOT
have saved us.
I'VE were lying up to the wind pretty steadily
when eight bells struck at midnight, and the mate
got ready to 20 below, Poor fellow! he never goE
below by himself but had 10 be carried there for q
sudden urch to leeward threw him across The poop
dcck, ana at the same moment the spanker hooi+
carried away from the mast and fell across his
chest When we picked him up he was stnseess,1
50 we carried him down below and brought HIM
around with some brandy. But he was q dying
man, and he knew it, Tell the old man to com4
here, he said, and the captain was brought along.
side. Captain he said, in hoarse whgs
per, while every now and then the well4
ing blood choked his utterance I have q
confession 10 make. was afraid to make ID
before, and it has rendered my life a burden to me-
Three years ago, captain, SHIPPED before the mast
III the MARIETTA brig Of New Orleans, bound With
cotton for Liverpool. 'orget the old mans name.
but the mate was named Roberts, and he was a
brute. Hardly had the ship left harbor before he
commenced to iltreat the men, but terrible pun.
isllinent was to oVertake him. we had been cut six
days the weather vas fine, and had the hrss
wheel in the afternoon watch The stores were to
be given out that afternoon and at two bells saw
man coming aft with some kids in his bands to get
the stores. In quarter of an hour he
returned carrying kid of molasses. Az
he came out of the BOBBY hatch the
captains dog, a snarling little cur. bit him
on the leg and he fell spliing the molasses on the
deck. The mate saw the accident and, going delib.
erately up to the man, kicked him in the face and
the poor wretch rolled over seuseless. The inhu.
man mate was not punished however. He raised
Inc PROSTATE mans head up and laid IL the over.
turned kid. Then, getting astride the man, lie
raised his foot aud kicked the poor wretch beneath
the nose, tearing the nostrils clean oil SO that they
hung over the back OF his head. lie then set tho
dog on the man, and the cur completed the mate
work by tearing the bloody nostris OFF altogether.
1.-The mate laughed Take him forward :.
could leir him say TO the men who were gathered
round lingering their knives in n threatening man
ner They lifted their wounded, sensclcss comrada
and took him forward as the male went below, lie
presently returned and proceeded TO take the sun,
He stood abait tho main rigging on the port side.
He raised the sextant and looked intcntly at the
glowing sun. saw the men consulting together,
and then OF o stepped forward. He was Il big
brawny collier. Picking up HEAVIER, he stole be-
hind the mate and brought the iron bar down with
crushing force on his head dashng his brains oue
with the force of the blow. Tne other men rushed
aft picked up h. body and dropped it overheard.
with the sextant. few buckets of water washed
away all evidence of the crime, and the men re-
sumed work.
AT four bells the old man came on deck looked
around for the mate but not seeing him. went be.
low again. In the 0 ntime / was relieved. q
went forward. Did you see anythlngP asked tho
collier. No, answered. Il am glad Of it, was thei
reply for there's more beavers in the ship Pass
ing by the main rigging, looked over; blood and
brains bespattered the chain plates. drew buck.
ct Of water and washed it of.
" i had scarcely finished when tho skipper camo
on deck again, very much excited. Who's seen tho
mater he asked. Noone had. The ship wa search-
ell, but no mate was found and at last the search
was given up, the captain concluding that his chief
officer had fallen overheard, though how was mys.
tory.
awe arrived in Liverpool all safe, the second
mate as first and the b0atswain second officer, /
The tragic story was never told and have lived in
hell ever since I
''Ihe excitement which had kept the mate up
now failed him, and he fell back on the table with
the death rattle in his thrOat And there amid the
shr.ekng Of the WIND and TIC groaning Of the yes
sell the poor fellow died. tie little oil lamp casting q
weird light on his pale convuls.ye features g
There, sir" concluded the mate. was q crime
which was never avenged, tor Il ough we laid tho
facts before the prpp.r officials on arrival mi
Liverpool the murderer was never discovered Yes1l
Sir, the sea has many myster's"
Better Than the New Orleans Exposition.
From the Philadelphia Times
Tho Atlanta or Piedmont exposition greatly
SURPRISES even the New Orleans cotton exposi.
ton held several years ago, in all practical benz
e6tg to southern industrial interests Grand
as was the New Orleans exposition, and liberal
as was government aid TO mako it success, ID
was isolated from the great sinews Of industry
which are now making the south a new crea-
ton, and its results in southern develop
ment are not visible. But Atlanta
is the very heart Of tho industrial
and progressive south, and her present exposition
comes lust when there is hopeful advancement in
exc southern state, and wien their new industries
have been sufficiently developed 10 furnish most
impressive lea o1s IN Il 81 pay Of southern wealth.
Besides the people of Atlanta arc themselves the
embodiment OF substantial southern progress They
have made their beautiful city the Chicago of the
south, and such a city IN the heart Of the empire